1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to controlling flow of exhaust gases from clothes dryers either outside of the home or into the home. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a vent apparatus for controlling the flow of clothes dryer air into the dryer room. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to an apparatus for utilizing the heat and humidity from a clothes dryer in a home heating system.
2. State of the Prior Art
Clothes dryers used by many homes conventionally exhaust the heated dryer air outside the home. The air exhausted from the dryer is air which initially is taken from the dryer room at about 70.degree. F. and is heated further by the dryer. Make-up air for the dryer room is drawn into the room from outside the building. The make-up air in the winter is much colder and drier than the 70.degree. heated air which it replaces. Thus, the air must be heated and humidified to maintain the home at a given temperature. Under these circumstances, considerable energy in the form of heat and humidity must be added to the house when the clothes dryer is in operation.
The circulation of heated dryer air into the laundry room has been known for some time. This concept is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,048 to Jacobson, (issued July 1, 1975), and U.S. Pat. No. 2,983,050 to Alaback (issued May 9, 1961). In Jacobson, a small dryer exhausts heated air to the front of the dryer through a screen. An exhaust pipe, blocked during delivery of the heated air to the front grill of the dryer is provided for venting the dryer air to the outside during warmer weather.
In Alaback, a portion of the exhaust air from the dryer can be diverted to a top portion of the dryer for room heating or clothes drying on a rack on top of the dryer. Although some adjustment is possible in Alaback, no complete recycle of the dryer air into the laundry room is possible without completely blocking the exhaust. Accordingly, some portion of the heated dryer air will always be ducted outside the room.
The use of exhaust air from a dryer for room heating is also disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,304 to Doty, (issued Dec. 28, 1976). In Doty, a portable filter box with multiple filters is connected directly to the dryer outlet.
The recycling of dryer air to a heat exchanger within a burner housing has been disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,070 to Thompson, (issued July 13, 1976). The use of heated dryer air for drying clothes in an external clothes bag is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,197,886 to Brame et al, (issued Aug. 3, 1965).
The dryers having the recirculation outlets built into the dryer housings have experienced some problem with lint in the households, due to incomplete filtration, and condensation of moisture in and around the dryers. Thus, the dryers with the self-contained recirculating heat have not been especially successful to my knowledge.
The energy shortages and the higher prices of energy have rekindled interest in utilizing waste heat from dryers and avoiding the unnecessary energy consumption due to drawing cold air inside during the wintertime.